Destroyer
by The Dougen Veil
Summary: An evil presence plagues the Hidden Leaf village. Naruto & friends must trust their lives to a dark stranger, found fatally wounded in the forest. Can this person protect them? Or will they fall victim to painful memories of failure, destruction & death?
1. Chapter 1

"Oh my…"

The door crashed open as a small woman ran through, with a look of confusion, worry… and fear, pasted on her faded face.

Behind her, through the sliding door lay an unconscious woman, seemingly deep in sleep with her arms and feet bound by a strange material that would leave even the most experienced eyes wide with awe.

--

"Lady Hokage! Lady Hokage!"

A look of irritation arose on the Sannin's face. Today her name was proving to be a bain on her already foul mood, and this incessant screaming was only adding to her growing rage.

Turning to the old nurse, mustering all the control she could manage to hold the murderous intent out of her glare, she ground out

"What IS it Kiyoko?!"

"Mi…Mi…Milady! The woman! Sh…she's moving, I think she's coming to! And…and the shackles! They're…I'm not sure…it's like symbols! Glowing symbols… moving on the surface!"

Tsunade's expression instantly dropped to that of panic, which only led the already frightened nurse to hyperventilate with anticipation.

Regaining her composure, the medic-nin began a quick pace towards the far hospital rooms, isolated from other slumbering patients.

"Kiyoko!"

Startled out of her breathless quivering she straightened and turned towards Tsunade, squeaking out

"Yes Milady?"

"Find Sakura then take a break! Shizune, come with me"

After attempting to calm the poor nurse down, she set off to follow the rather shaken Hokage.

"Shizune?"

Following quietly behind the Hokage, she looked up hesitantly

"Yes Lady Tsunade?"

"…Are the ANBU Black Ops in position?"

"Yes Milady"

"…Good"

Looking at the Hokage, Shizune could clearly see the tension and anguish as she hastily walked along, which only seemed to intensify as their destination came into view. Pausing outside the closed door Tsunade spoke quietly

"If anything should happen…you know what to do. Understood?"

A low masculine voice answered from the darkness

"Understood"

With that both medic-nin disappeared through the door, closing it with a soft 'thud'.

-- Elsewhere --

"But Sakuraaa!"

The young blonde whined loudly

"I said NO Naruto! You're not supposed to eat for at least 2 hours! Stop being such a pain!"

The young pink haired kunoichi was feeling the strain of her friend's recently healed training injuries even more than he was. He could be a real pain when it came to recovery rules, especially when it interfered with his appalling diet of ramen, ramen, ramen.

"Just one bowl that's all I ask!"

Sakura made the dreaded mistake of trying to glare her friend into submission, and was met with a pair of huge, blue, watering eyes paired with a pout that could crumble Hokage Mountain itself.

'_Damit! That twerp is using MY pouty face against me! And it's WORKING!'_

"FINE! One bowl! But if you sneak more than that I will personally see to it you don't eat for an entire MONTH! Got it!?"

With the sweet promise of ramen the threat was simply brushed off by the young ninja followed by a crushing hug for the girl

"Thanks Sakura you're the best! BELIEVE IT!"

Grumbling loudly to herself Sakura followed the now skipping blonde into the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, preparing to witness the unpleasant show of a ramen deprived Naruto pounce on a large bowl of his favourite food.

--

After guzzling down his first bowl of ramen, defeating Sakura a further 4 times into allowing him more, Naruto was tucking into his 5th bowl when the two 15 year olds heard distressed yelling

"Sakuraaa…Miss Sakura…Ah Miss Sakura I found you!"

Gasping and panting Nurse Kiyoko took a moment to catch her breath before letting the words tumble clumsily out of her mouth

"Sakura…Lady Hokage…Chakra Room…needs you…waking up…"

Still breathless from her desperate search for the young medic the woman still couldn't manage to speak coherently, but this didn't matter as Sakura was on her feet in an instant.

"Naruto look after Miss Kiyoko! And don't go overboard you hear me!"

With that Sakura left the wheezing woman with a rather distracted Naruto and took to the rooftops heading straight for the hospital.

'_For Kiyoko to be in that state, this must be serious!'_

(In the distance) "…Erm Naruto? Should you be eating that...?"


	2. Chapter 2

After slowly approaching the centre of the large room, Tsunade and Shizune stood at either side of the large metal bed. Staring at the comatose form lying between them, their eyes raked over the restraints binding the woman's limbs loosely. Just as they were told, they silently watched symbols slither over the surface of the bizarre items creating what they could only presume was some kind of language or unknown text.

Looking over said woman they noted: torn black garments, pale skin, flashes of armour (made from what seemed to be a advanced version of the chain's material), strong black boots, a large, hooded and rather ragged cape, a black skin-tight mask over her mouth and nose and an unusual headpiece that seemed to surround her forehead and cheeks then wind around to protect the sides of her head. This only led them to realise the strange colouring of the woman's hair, black as night with a mass of pure white framing her covered face.

Unaware of what they were doing, both of them took a moment to gaze closely at the incredible detail portrayed on the armour, the fine carvings and the strange pulsing deep within the metal itself made it seem almost alive…identical to the chains, but much more powerful as she gradually swam towards consciousness.

Both kunoichi were caught off guard as the chains suddenly began to pulse violently with a strange yellow glow, which only continued to get stronger and stronger until the shackles began to radiate a harsh heat that filled the room with a suffocating blast of hot air.

"What was that?!"

The Hokage instinctively jumped back, instantly building chakra into her fists, Shizune opposite her readying the poison needle launchers on her arm.

"Lady Tsunade, I've got a bad feeling about this"

Tsunade seemed to be frozen with, what Shizune hoped to not be, terror…

"Tsunade Shishou?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Miles away from the Hidden Leaf Village, a blinding flash of light shot down from the black sky, ploughing into the ground with a deafening boom. A sharp blast shook the surrounding forest as a figure rose from a large crater engulfed in smoke and dust.**_

_**The clinking of metal against metal rang through the silence as a shadow stumbled to find cover from anything that might have followed them through the veil.**_

_**With fatal injuries and drained of power, the hooded figure hissed as the bindings holding them prisoner began to sear into their skin with unmerciful force. Never did they think the enemy was willing to go so far in obtaining another's power for their own use.**_

_**Slumping beneath the roots of a huge tree the stranger began to silently chant. Their strange words seemed to be echoed by the forest itself as they slowly fell into a healing trance, letting their body slip into a temporary death state in order to restore the power used in their struggle to escape a rather dangerous situation (which is putting it somewhat mildly).**_

_**-- Elsewhere --**_

"**AW MAN! Did you see me? Did you see me? I was like SLAM and he was like SMASH and I was like RASENGAN! And he was like…!"**

"**Yes Naruto you were phenomenal, now do you mind calming down, we're still on mission remember"**

**The tall, silver haired jounin was getting bored with the young blondes loud bragging, and was, further more, slightly irritated that the mission had been so much more hassle than need be. **

**Reading his trusted 'Icha Icha' he just managed to drown out the constant begging for praises…however this did not do anything to calm the flaming inferno that was building just beside him.**

"**Yeh but sensei didn't you see! I mean it was totally…!"**

**Sensing the time bomb next to him about to reach its exploding point, Kakashi subtly edged away out of harms way as a chakra charged fist came plummeting down into the back of the blonde head bouncing along just ahead of him.**

**SLAM!**

"**DAMIT NARUTO! DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE MEANING OF QUIET?! SIX FREAKING HOURS YOU'VE BEEN AT IT! SIX! IF I HEAR ONE MORE PEEP OUT OF YOU I'M GONNA SHOVE MY FIST SO FAR DOWN YOUR THROAT YOU'LL BE SCREAMING OUT YOUR REAR END! UNDERSTOOD?!"**

**Without waiting for an answer from the crumpled ninja Sakura stomped off letting the last of her rage evaporate into the wonderful silence breezing past her ears.**

**Behind her leaning over a half conscious Naruto, Kakashi snickered softly as not to provoke a beating himself from an enraged Sakura Haruno. A Sakura, who just happened to have done a lousy job on the mission and had been in a foul mood the whole way home. **

"**Don't say I didn't warn you"**

"**Urgh"**

**With a small smile he straightened up and set off on a leisurely pace remembering to keep a safe distance between him and the raging girl in front of him, eager to get back to the village and sneak home before Sakura or any other medic-nin noticed the small gash in his side.**

**--**

**After three hours of travelling, with Naruto sulking next to a now completely calm Sakura, Kakashi came to an abrupt stop causing the two teens to almost collide into his back.**

"**Hey Kakashi sensei, what's wrong?"**

**Seeing their sensei slowly put away his book, all three ninjas reached for their weapons.**

**Looking into the trees Sakura and Naruto could now see what had caused Kakashi to suddenly switch to shinobi mode. **

**An eerie presence surrounded them as the forest seemed to darken and condense, even though it was the middle of the day. Kakashi felt a shiver run up his spine as he realised the wind was no longer present. Sakura was about to ask what was wrong but decided against it when she saw her sensei freeze on the spot. Moving her eyes very slightly she saw that Naruto was thinking the same thing. The forest was far too still. **

**Something was there…Something that had stopped the very air in its tracks.**

**Naruto couldn't breath. Sakura couldn't think. Kakashi felt something he never thought he'd feel in his life. Pure terror.**

**As the three of them stood stone still, a movement caught their eyes. A shadow had flickered only metres away. All of a sudden they each felt the suffocating awareness that they were being watched. This wasn't the usual ninja-in-a-tree vibe, this was different. This was sinister, inhuman, like invisible eyes burning into their souls keeping them frozen in place. Never had Kakashi felt such a disturbing aura and it frightened him to no end. He wasn't even able to worry about how his two students were behind him as the ominous shadow began to box them in. **

**Three heartbeats, each one racing as the blood turned to ice in their veins. There, in the dense black of the forest creeping out of the dark and piercing through their skin was a pair of malevolent yellow orbs, smouldering among the trees. The silence felt as though it was tearing at them piece by piece making their ears bleed, yet not a sound was made. **

**Simultaneously all three ninja felt as though their hearts had stopped. Slowly a grotesque grin appeared in the dark, a grin that could have killed them just by sight alone. What seemed like millions of razor sharp, long teeth began to appear creating a drooling grin preparing for its favourite meal. **

**A low snarl reverberated through their bones, so low that it made them ache inside and out. No animal should make that sound, there wasn't any alive that could cause the famous Copy Ninja or the Number One Knucklehead Ninja themselves to wish for death rather than have to look into the eyes of this thing only steps away. Hopelessness took over them as the shadows suddenly rose like a tidal wave above the three ninja and began to descend on them faster than any wave could move.**

**Before either of the three could even consider closing their eyes in horror, a bolt of white lightening exploded in front of them creating a shield or blinding light against the dark mass approaching them. **

**A high pitch screech ripped at their ears, with their temporary loss of sight they desperately covered their ears curling to the ground in agony using a sudden spike of adrenaline to move. The scream tore through the woods as all the shadows were engulfed by white. **

**In a second everything was over. Hesitantly, Kakashi looked back at his students. Without words they nodded their answer to his silent question. They were ok. Slowly sitting up but staying low to the floor they watching in awe as the lightening ball before them began to dissipate into a soft glow. The shadows retreated as the light began to seep through the trees leaving a black figure standing before them.**

**Without warning the figure slumped to the floor into a heap as the wind returned to the forest.**

**After managing to snap out of their terrified trance, the three ninja began to extend their senses searching for any other signs of life. While Naruto and Sakura began to search the perimeter Kakashi slowly approached the collapsed shadow on the ground. **

**Hesitantly he placed his hand on what he only prayed was a shoulder and turned the figure over.**

**All he could do was stare as he took in the sight of what seemed to be in simple terms an Amazonian, clad in tattered black clothing and armour. He found a strange sword tied at her waist and a bow and arrows lying among the folds of her clothing. He had never seen weapons of this design and was careful not to touch them as he attempted to pick the woman up.**

"**Kakashi sensei? What…what are you doing?"**

**Sakura asked with a hint of fear left in her voice. That bolt of lightening held power that was not to be taken lightly.**

"**This person saved us. We have to at least get her seen to by Tsunade. And of course we need to have her questioned when or if, she wakes up"**

"**Hey Kakashi sensei LOOK!"**

**Naruto pointed frantically at the shackles binding the woman's body, the man hadn't noticed them under the black cloak. They where pulsing an ugly yellow. He noticed that it was the same yellow as those hideous eyes in the dark. The fresh memory made him shudder.**

"**I don't think we should touch these until they are identified, for now we have to hope nothing happens"**

**While distracted by the young boys panicked yammering Kakashi and Sakura almost failed to notice the woman's eyes flicker slightly, her voice was less than a whisper**

"…**do it… (wheeze)…kill me…"**

**The quiet request hit all three deeply. After throwing herself in front of that demon, she still felt like they should still take her life.**

**Watching her wince in pain Kakashi almost felt his heart break.**

"**Your not gonna die. You saved us, the least we can do is take you somewhere safe"**

"**Come on Kakashi sensei its getting dark. We need to get her home"**

**Mustering all their remaining strength the three shinobi leapt into the trees, heading straight for the Hidden Leaf village.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Tsunade sensei?"

The outer seal of the charka room doors released with a small poof.

"Sensei I heard you needed me"

"Sakura! Don't move"

The girl froze on the spot as she resealed the large door

"Something's happening to the shackles, we think she may be coming to"

Shizune couldn't keep the quiver out of her voice.

The atmosphere in the room changed dramatically. The air them became thick and sharp. The light began to dim.

'_Just like in the forest' _

Sakura did not want to relive that feeling but it was rooting her to the spot same as before, the Hokage and Shizune were just as hypnotised as she was.

The darker the room got the more they could see why the air was getting less and less breathable. The shackles around the woman's hands were sucking all the light around them and compacting it into the metal itself. Smoke rose from the woman's skin as the metal ripped into her skin.

A ghastly hissing voice arose from the gloom behind her head

"…I found you"

A blood curdling laugh erupted from the dark.

"Now tell me. Will you join us…or do your young friends here need to die?!"

No answer came from the sleeping form. With an evil chuckle the shadow began to morph stalking its way towards the three women.

Outside the door the man sensed a growing pressure in the room.

'…just like in the forest'

Gritting his teeth he performed seal after seal in quick formation.

--

The second a cloud of smoke appeared, the shadow had completed its transformation, much to the despair of the staring ninja. Towering over them it seemed pleased to have such a choice of victims, they may not have been close to the sleeping woman but they had shown her kindness, which was punishable by death.

"…Now let's begin my meal shall we"

With that, the shadow presented a mouth full of ring after ring of sharp dripping fangs

"…Who's first?"

"NO!"

A fierce blast of air ripped through the room smashing everything against the walls.

"…KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF THEM!"

An overwhelmingly deep snarl erupted from behind the creature. The woman's voice sounded anything but human as it rung in their ears. She was wide awake with an aura of bloodlust directed straight at the shadow. Her feral snarl sent shivers down their spines as she slowly straightened to her full height, which was surprisingly tall for a woman (hence Kakashi's presumption of an Amazonian). They didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. Her eyes burned with hatred towards the attacker.

"…so your awake my dear? How wooonderful…Hn?"

Its attention suddenly snapped towards Kakashi making him jump

"Hmm doesn't this man remind you of someone my dear...? Maybe I'll tear his heart out first"

Lunging towards Kakashi the shadow was pummelled clean out of the room and straight into a clearing outside of the hospital wing. The woman had protected him for the second time by throwing herself into its path.

The copy ninja was stunned, everything was happening so fast he couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"DAMIT WHERE ARE THOSE ANBU IDIOTS!?"

All four shinobi went in pursuit of the two intruders with the shaken ANBU close behind, not knowing what had happened just inches behind them, yet knowing by the thundered insult of their Hokage that it wasn't good.

-- Elsewhere --

"Why are you here…Obake?"

She spat the name as she struggled to stay on her feet, every time she had to say it her throat would burn. Having her hands and feet bound, it wasn't at all easy to get into a decent fighting stance or even to stand up against her opponent. This only seemed to please the monster to great heights, sickening her as it traced her from head to toe.

"Don't you know my lovely…I'm here to whisk you off your feet" it licked its lips "…and to return you to your owners'!"

"Hmph"

She snorted at his assumption that she could belong to those traitors

"I am nobody's possession!"

"Oh but you are deary. Those special gifts of yours belong to them alone; you merely got them by accident, how unfortunate. Now behave young lady and come quietly?"

The mockery in its voice was beginning to become impatient. She praised the demon's very short temper.

'Oh how the tables have quickly turned'

"You'll never take me alive Obake. Just imagine what they'd do to you if you lost control and killed me"

The evilness in her voice felt so good, it had been along time since she had felt so riled up and raring to kill.

"Oh and for the record, Obake, not only do I out rank you by every level…but you seem to be forgetting one little detail…"

Just as before the wind came to a total stand still as the woman seemed to grow in height. Dropping her head slowly, what she said next didn't only have an effect on the hidden ninja hiding just out of harms way.

"…I got yeeears on you…old friend"

Her breathe burned through her mask as the hair hanging over her face began to turn a crimson red, as if blood was seeping through from her scalp.

The yellow eyes of the monster widened in terror as it came to a realization

"Tho…those eyes, tho…those marks…it can't be...! You're…"

RUMBLE!

"…ignorance is bliss huh...?"

"…"

QUAKE

"…never bite the hand that feeds you…right...?"

"…"

The ground began to shake harshly as the air behind the creature began to churn and morph. The chains around the woman's wrist clinked together as she forced her wrists apart from each other.

"…say hi for me will yah...?"

"…"

The now shaking beast fell to its knees as the cloaked woman approached dominantly

"…oh and one more thing…"

"…'squeak'…"

Leaning in on the creature, she whispered softly

"…mother nature herself didn't see me coming…"

The chains around her hands and feet sprung into life; breaking apart they wrapped themselves around the beast's body like two huge snakes. They tightly tangled themselves around its neck, squeezing the breath out of its lungs, and crushing its ribs. After an evil snort of silent laughter, a flick of the woman's finger sent him pummelling into the vortex inches behind him, screaming in pain as it tore into his body like nails, reeling him into the nothingness.

"NAAAAAAAAH!"

…Silence.

"…hmph…arrogant lowlife"

After a moment of looking into the empty space before her, the woman turned around to where the group of ninja had slowly approached at the disappearance of the shadow man. Taking a calming deep breath she said in a soft gentle voice

"…your safe…'whisper' for now"

Those words spoken, steam began to emanate from beneath the layers of black cloth wrapped around her body, the darkness around her body and across her skin began to recede, as did the crimson which bled into her face. Her whole body seemed to power down as the shocked and confused hidden leaf ninja watched her shrink to more human proportions. Gently she floated to the ground and back into unconsciousness, relieved she was able to hold out and save an innocent village from the evil of her unpleasant hunter.

"Stop!"

Kakashi looked questioningly at the Hokage as she held her arm in front of his chest

"Not so fast kiddo"

"But she's unconscious and she may be hurt!"

"The chains…"

"The chains aren't there anymore Hokage! You saw what they were doing to her; she may still be in pain"

The Hokage sighed deeply

'_Even though I know I shouldn't, this woman needs our help. Why do I feel she's not a threat after what I've just seen?'_

In the midst of her inward thoughts, Kakashi slipped past her carefully walking up to the unconscious woman in front of him. Tsunade looked at him irritated.

'_When will he learn…?'_

"Hokage you have to see this!"

Caught slightly off guard by the surprise in his voice she began to make her way over when she realised something. Turning around she looked at Shizune and Sakura. Their faces where whiter than freshly fallen snow with eyes the size of saucers.

"W…wh…what was that?"

They stuttered in unison

"MOVE IT OR LOSE IT GIRLS!"

Jumping at the sudden outburst they followed warily behind the Hokage to the sleeping form next to a crouching Kakashi.

"The armour it's receding!"

"What?"

All three women leaned over with a sudden curiosity at what he meant and indeed what he said was true. The armour itself began to shed away from her limbs and face twisting its way around her and disappearing somewhere behind her neck. The older ninja had seen some strange weaponry and armour in their time as shinobi but this was by far the most unusual. It moved almost as if it were alive.

"…that's strange…"

As Tsunade lowered her hand to the woman's face to sweep away the white hair, the woman's eyes tightened as if in pain. A quiet murmur made Sakura twitch with alarm

"…'gasp'…ka … a … shi…"

All three had thought the same thing as their attention flashed to Kakashi who was staring at the woman with an unreadable expression

"Hn … come on lets go"

There was an embarrassed pause between the three females.

"Oh … ok, good idea"

Picking the woman up just as he did when they found her he turned towards the hospital, taking her to the opposite wing to the one she had recently been held, as she had left a rather impressive hole blown through the upper half of the building.

"Is it just me…"

Sakura began

"Or does he seem actually concerned about her?"

"Heaven only knows with that man"

After angrily dismissing the useless ANBU guards, the Hokage and her two apprentices made their way towards the hospital wondering what kind of amazing story the stranger would have to tell of her coming here.


End file.
